The Journal's all-purpose sports report.

Novak Djokovic came back from one set down to beat Andy Murray in four sets and win his third successive Australian Open title. Carl Bialik offered commentary from London, with Tom Perrotta in New York and Gillian Tan in Melbourne. This live blog is now closed.

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will contest their third Grand Slam final, and second in a row, in a matchup between the two best players in the world over the last six months.

It’s also a rematch of the final two years ago. When Murray and Djokovic met here in 2011, they were playing at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. The two rivals and friends were 23 years old, and each was playing great tennis to reach the final. The winner, it appeared, was poised to take his place alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the top of the game. Djokovic did that, and extended his title run into a 43-match winning streak that took him to the top of the rankings. Murray, meanwhile, slumped, losing his next six sets and waiting two and a half months to win his next match.

It took another year after that match, and a new coach, but Murray began to ascend to the level of Djokovic last year. First, under the tutelage of eight-time Grand Slam champ Ivan Lendl, Murray took Djokovic to a 7-5 fifth set in the semifinal in Melbourne last year. Then he reached his first Wimbledon final, and won the first set before succumbing to seven-time champ Federer. Then Murray beat Djokovic and Federer, each in straight sets, to take Olympic gold in his home country. And to cap that, he beat Djokovic in five sets in New York to win the U.S. Open, the first major singles title for a British man in 76 years.

Now, if he wins in Melbourne, he’ll still trail Djokovic and Federer in the rankings but he’ll have won the sport’s last three big prizes. Beating Djokovic won’t be easy.

The world No. 1 showed how dangerous his survivalist mode is in outlasting Stanislas Wawrinka despite putting up a subpar effort in the fourth round. The he showed off his unplayable mode, blasting world No. 4 David Ferrer off the court in a semifinal in which Djokovic dropped just five games.

That match was the day before Murray’s tougher, five-set semifinal against Federer. Djokovic has won the last two Australian Opens, plus the 2008 title, and thrives at Rod Laver Arena. He brings his best tennis to matches against his best opponents in Melbourne: Djokovic has won his last eight matches at the tournament against top 5 players. This isn’t the 2011 final: The loser of this match isn’t likely to go into a tailspin. Instead he’ll likely get another crack at the winner in a tournament soon.

Murray isn’t the second best player in the world yet, but he’ll take a step toward that ranking, and beyond, if he can knock off Djokovic on what has become the world No. 1′s home away from home. And with the two men looking like they’re in their prime, and as closely matched as ever, this likely won’t be like the 2011 final in another way: That one was decided in three desultory sets. With Murray vowing to want to feel the pain, these two look ready to go the distance.

Novak Djokovic supporters are hoping their man can become the first player to win three consecutive Australian Open titles in the Open Era, or since 1968. He’ll retain the No. 1 ranking regardless of the outcome.

If Djokovic wins, he’ll claim his fourth Australian Open title, joining Andre Agassi and Roger Federer as the only other two men in the Open Era who have achieved such success in Melbourne.

British Eurosport starts off its coverage with clips of match points and celebrations after prior big matches for Djokovic and Murray. They both looked so young in their 2008 Grand Slams. Djokovic won his, in Australia against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray lost his, to a tougher opponent in Roger Federer at the U.S. Open, and had to wait four more years for his first major title.

Now each man is 25 years and eight months old. Djokovic has five majors, Murray one. At this age, Federer and Rafael Nadal had 10 majors each, and are the main reasons Djokovic and Murray don’t have more than they do.

In the report, very faint signs are sought that Murray can win: “A week ago, Mats Wilander, who won seven slam titles, tipped Djokovic if he met Murray in the final. Sitting alongside him for part of Friday night’s semi-final, I got the impression that view is weakening.” However, seven of 11 former players picked Djokovic when asked by the BBC, with three backing Murray and one undecided.

1) Ross Hutchins is a fine British doubles player ranked 29th in the world who was recently diagnosed Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Murray is his close friend and occasional Davis Cup teammate, and said: “I’ll continue to fight as hard as I can to give Ross something to smile about.”

2) Former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski pronounces the world No. 1′s last name ‘Jockovitch,’ which is at odds with everyone else’s pronunciation in the studio and elsewhere as Jokivitch. I’ve been told the ATP website is working to add to its player pages recordings of players saying their own names. Looking forward to hearing Djokovic’s.

For some laughs during the match, you may enjoy following these two parody Twitter feeds: “Roger Federer” and “John McEnroe.” To be clear, neither man is on Twitter, and these are not real accounts, though the McEnroe one, especially, sounds like the real man. Sample Tweet: “Conditioning is going to be a major factor here big time to put it mildly. Let’s be honest.”

This matchup between the world’s two best defenders starts with three winners: A Murray forehand winner in a point he dominated, a Djokovic ace and a Djokovic backhand putaway. Would be nice to see both these players at their most aggressive.

Djokovic held at 15. Both players looked sharp and confident in that opening game. Now Murray steps up to serve. He’ll be hard-pressed to repeat his ace count of 21 from his semifinal victory. Djokovic gets his racket on nearly every serve and gets most back into play.

Murray holds at love despite failing to make a first serve. His second serve is a weakness and Djokovic usually feasts on second serves. So far the pace of the match has been fast, with short rallies and short games.

Murray put pressure on Djokovic’s service game by hitting an aggressive backhand down-the-line — a risky shot he possesses but rarely uses — and following it up with a forehand winner.

But Djokovic holds with an ace. Murray challenged it but it was on the line. We’ll be tracking his challenge count — in the fourth set of his semifinal against Roger Federer, Murray used up all three challenges and was unable to question a close call on a Federer shot.

Murray holds to love with an ace. He hasn’t lost a point on serve while Djokovic has lost just three. Surprising for these two: they broke each other 16 times in their U.S. Open final in September. And as I type that, Djokovic races out to a 30-0 lead.

First close service game. Murray gets to use his incredible defense to good effect in two straight long rallies, first surviving two good Djokovic backhands down the line and then some strong Djokovic forehands in two points that end in Djokovic unforced errors.

Then a Djokovic forehand finds its mark, but on game point the defending champion misses an easy swing-volley putaway. Deuce.

Djokovic holds with the best point of the match. Murray — possibly the best net player among the top five — approaches on a strong backhand and hits a soft backhand volley, which Djokovic races to retrieve and hits a winning passing shot down the line.

That seemed to awaken the crowd. Seems both men are playing attacking tennis, perhaps because, as the players have reported, the courts are playing faster this year. That rewards offense.

Djokovic hits a forehand passing shot — sliding into the shot and prompting Mats Wilander to joke the blue hard court is being played like it’s blue clay — and the Murray hits a routine backhand into the net to fall into a 0-30 hole. Two points later, an errant Murray backhand gives Djokovic the first break points of the match.

Djokovic wastes the first break point by sending a routine forehand long. On the second, Murray misses yet another first serve but manages to force a Djokovic error with a strong forehand. That was a sign of the minor changes Murray has made to his game, to major effect: the old Murray, wary of making an error on a big point, might have fallen into defensive mode on that point. Today’s Murray saw the chance to hit a big forehand and took it, but didn’t go for a winner, just a safe, aggressive shot.

Unfortunately for Murray, he’s facing the man who perfected safe aggression. Djokovic takes control of the first deuce point and wins it with a crosscourt backhand. Murray saves the third break point with another big forehand. Deuce again.

Murray yields a fourth break point by hitting a risky shot at the wrong time, a wild crosscourt forehand. But he saves yet another after a long rally ends with Djokovic going for a low-percentage backhand down the line.

Djokovic doubles over after yet another long rally. Murray spoke about feeling the pain before the match. Seems Djokovic is the first to feel it. A rare Murray service winner and a rarer ace clinches the game for him.

That was a huge hold, and it took smart play from Murray and a few mistakes from Djokovic.

The point of the match goes to Djokovic, though Murray gets the first knockdown in the same point.

Murray goes from defending back by the Melbourne sign way behind the court to the forecourt as Djokovic slips and hits a lob from the ground after he slipped, but inexplicably hits his swinging volley right at Djokovic, who hits a backhand into the open court. Somehow Murray retrieves it but he’s on the run, and Djokovic calmly hits a backhand drop shot to end the point.

He gets Murray on the run again on the next point by attacking Murray’s backhand corner. Then he holds with a big serve down the T and an easy putaway. That was much cleaner, better tennis than the last game.

A word on outfits and shoes: both men are wearing black with some yellow, making their already similar styles look even more alike.

And their shoes are squeaking as they turn and slide around the court, which to some tennis fans I follow on Twitter is making noises more disturbing than those that come out of the mouths of some women’s players, such as Victoria Azarenka.

I tend to disagree, though now that I’ve written it, all I’m hearing are the shoe squeaks.

Murray makes two sloppy errors to fall behind, 15-30. A Murray service winner brings it to 30-30.

Then Djokovic stops a long rally to challenge a Murray backhand that he easily retrieved. It was a risky challenge — Djokovic would have lost a point he could have won if he was wrong — but the ball was out.

Djokovic may have been blocking the linesperson’s view. Another break point against Murray.

Murray saves it with a big inside-out forehand that he follows to net for the easy putaway.

Murray takes another tough hold, raising his game from deuce by forcing a Djokovic error and then earning an easy putaway at net from a big serve out wide. Don’t make too much of the outcome of this first set: Djokovic won the last two meetings between these two after dropping the first set. The first set is big. The last set is bigger.

Murray has more variety than Djokovic, which can be a blessing and a curse.

He has a strong drive backhand and also an excellent slice. He uses slice on the first point of Djokovic’s service game when going for a drop shot that he hits into the bottom of the net. A better use of slice on the second point, down the line, draws a Djokovic error. But then he uses his drive backhand from a defensive position on the third point to miss a backhand down the line by a mile.

Djokovic holds at 30 with an ace, after the chair umpire corrects an out call. Murray decides not to challenge. He’ll serve to stay in the first set.

Murray misses two first serves. Djokovic misses the first return but punishes Murray in the second point.

Afterwards, Murray seems to be fiddling to get a better fit in his shoe. Between this and the incident when tennis balls kept falling out of Murray’s pockets at Wimbledon, Murray matches haven’t always been great ads for his sponsor and equipment provider, Adidas.

Nonetheless Murray holds to 15 when fantastic defense rescues him from yet another weak second serve. He finishes the game by drilling a short backhand passing shot right at Djokovic, who can’t quite keep the volley in the court. Ivan Lendl, Murray’s coach, used to love drilling passing shots right at opponents at net, as Mats Wilander reminisces on Eurosport.

Spectacular defense from Murray forces Djokovic to hit an overhead, normally his least comfortable shot. But he puts it away, then hits a forehand winner down the line.

Djokovic hits a big serve out wide on 40-0 and starts walking to his chair but it’s called out, and he follows it up with his first double fault of the match.

Again Djokovic looks ready to go to his chair after a serve out wide at 40-15, again it’s called out and again he doesn’t challenge. But his second serve kicks up, Murray misses the return and Djokovic will finish the first set without facing a break point.

For the second time, Murray will serve to stay in the set. The last time these two met in a Grand Slam final, at the U.S. Open final in September, the first set went 87 minutes and finished with Murray winning 12-10 in a tiebreaker. We could be headed in that direction again.

Djokovic opens with a double fault. His camp looks edgy. Murray, for a change, sends Djokovic scrambling around the court. Murray resists several opportunities to move forward but wins the point anyway with a big forehand down the line, his third forehand winner to two from Djokovic. Then Djokovic pulls the trigger at the wrong moment and misses a forehand. Great start for Murray.

Murray is lucky to win a long rally in which he decided not to play the last shot even before it landed. No call from the line judge but the umpire called it out, and a Djokovic challenge is unsuccessful. Again Murray passed up a few chances to come into the net on that rally.

Murray seems content to play defense and wait for a Djokovic error, but Djokovic is up to the challenge and puts away an easy overhead that he makes difficult. It lands on the line, Murray challenges and the call stands up. Then Djokovic inexplicably hits another routine forehand well long and throws a wry smile at his box. Murray is dominating this tiebreaker without doing much.

Murray dominates a tiebreaker after limping into it, much like Federer did twice to him in their semifinal.

Djokovic had been the better player for the second half of the set, but Murray was flawless in the decider while Djokovic made at least three awful and uncharacteristic forehand errors, including one on set point.

Murray dominates a tiebreaker after limping into it, much like Federer did twice to him in their semifinal.

Djokovic had been the better player for the second half of the set, but Murray was flawless in the decider while Djokovic made at least three awful and uncharacteristic forehand errors, including one on set point.

I’m believing more in my comment about Djokovic becoming frustrated at playing someone so similar to himself. At 30-0 he had Murray scrambling from side to side but couldn’t get an easy shot back, and finally sent yet another forehand long. Murray holds with an ace. Murray has won 13 of the last 15 points.

Murray is a quarter of the way to a golden set as he wins the first two points on Djokovic’s serve. Then he goes to 0-40 with yet another routine forehand sent long. Murray gets three break points, his first of the match. Shocking stuff from the world No. 1 and three-time champ.

Murray gets to deuce after saving Djokovic’s first game point with a backhand return winner off a second serve.

A break seems imminent once one player starts missing a lot of first serves as each man is returning better now. But Djokovic holds, fittingly with a big first serve setting up a big forehand that draws the error.

Murray gets to deuce after saving Djokovic’s first game point with a backhand return winner off a second serve. A break seems imminent once one player starts missing a lot of first serves as each man is returning better now. But Djokovic holds, fittingly with a big first serve setting up a big forehand that draws the error.

Murray opens with an ace out wide, then goes for another slice serve that’s called an ace.

Djokovic makes a late challenge, it’s called out, and Djokovic wins a long rally with terrific defense.

Murray was testy about the lateness of Djokovic’s challenge. But like he did well against Federer, Murray shook off any frustration on the next point, and when a Djokovic shot lands long, Djokovic kicks the ball high and deep in his own bout of frustration, drawing more boos and fewer aaahs than he deserves for the nice footwork.

Another Scottish letcord lets Murray into Djokovic’s service game as it draws Djokovic into the net with a less-than-ideal approach and Murray sends the passing shot inside the line for the winner. 30-15 Djokovic.

But Djokovic’s forehand and overhead combo is solid again as he goes up 40-15. He puts away another overhead for the easy hold and is looking much better after his wobbles at the end of the first set and beginning of the second.

Murray double-faults at 40-0, then holds at 15 on another Djokovic error. This is starting out very much like the U.S. Open final. Murray won the first two, tight sets in that one, then Djokovic found new life and took the third and fourth before Murray proved the stronger player in the fifth set.

Murray hits his second straight double fault from 40-0. No better time to do it. He holds at 15, in a game in which he again shook off any frustration from the prior game, for instance confidently nailing a backhand winner down the line, a shot he should go for more than he does.

It may not show up in the stats, but Murray is a much more confident, focused player than he used to be. He still wants perfection and is frustrated when he doesn’t toss up a perfect lob, say, from a defensive position. But he’s smart enough to move on to the next point.

You can see why these two sometimes fall into defensive mode against each other. A weak Djokovic forehand approach is easily dispatched by Murray for a passing shot winner. Murray gets the first point with Djokovic serving for the set. Djokovic gets the next, though again attacking play is dangerous: Murray gets a piece of Djokovic’s overhead and nearly sends it back into the court. Djokovic makes no mistake with his overhead on the next point, and goes up 30-15.

Another Scottish netcord takes the sting out of a Djokovic forehand down the line, but Djokovic keeps control of the rally and draws an error with a backhand down the line. Murray misses an aggressive return and we’re at 22 games without a break. Murray to serve.

Murray loses a punishing point on his serve so saves himself the bother on the next point with his seventh ace. Then a strong crosscourt Murray backhand draws the Djokovic error. Djokovic saves the first game point with a strong return and aggressive down-the-line shots but loses the second when another down-the-line backhand goes awry, into the net.

Murray lost seven points on serve in six service games in the set. Djokovic will serve to stay in the set. If he does, it will go to another tiebreaker. Murray won the first-set tiebreaker after being the weaker player in the set. In a few minutes, Djokovic may be trying to do the same in the second set.

Smart move from Murray, who hits a great slice backhand approach shot and puts away the volley on the opening point of Djokovic’s service game. Djokovic wins the second point with a big inside-out forehand. That’s taking a page from Roger Federer’s playbook: Federer also likes to attack Murray’s backhand with that shot.

Djokovic boldly prevents Murray from another net approach with his own, and a Murray lob goes wide. He made a similar shot against Federer on the run: maybe he had too much time on this one. Djokovic double-faults, and it’s 30-30. Murray is two points from a two-sets-to-none lead.

Djokovic makes no mistake at 30-30, with a brutal crosscourt forehand followed by a severely angled overhead winner to the same side. Then Djokovic holds with a clinical crosscourt backhand winner off a short ball. 24 games, 24 holds and we have a second-set tiebreaker.

The rock-solid serving continues at the start as Murray and Djokovic trade service winners. Then a Murray forehand goes into the net. Djokovic looks much more calm and dangerous in this tiebreaker than in the one he flubbed after the first set.

The prince and the feather: A feather fell to court between his first and second serve at 2-2 and Murray was distracted — he interrupted his second-serve prep to snatch it and toss it behind the baseline.

I thought Djokovic might grant him another first serve, but he didn’t, Murray double-faulted, and Djokovic took the first minibreak of the tiebreaker.

A Murray down-the-line forehand goes wide and after a service winner, Djokovic is in control of this tiebreaker. Murray has won six of the prior nine tiebreakers between these two.

Djokovic bails out Murray by sending an easy forehand long. But then he wins a long rally when Murray can’t handle a Djokovic forehand down the line. Three set points for Djokovic, first two on his serve.

Murray sends a feeble slice into the net and this is going at least four sets, to no one’s surprise. Again the stronger player in the set came up way short in the tiebreaker. Murray bounced back well after losing both tiebreakers to Federer on Friday, winning the following set easily each time. He’ll need the same resilience here.

Djokovic changes his shirt and this time, so does Murray, who is wearing a white undergarment. Temperatures have dropped to 17 degrees celcius (63 degrees farenheit).

Umpire announces Murray is taking a medical time out so Djokovic puts his zip-up top on to stay warm and does a couple of lunges. Last night, Azarenka was practicing serves and groundstrokes to stay warm.

Eurosport comes back from a break to an extreme close-up of Murray’s iodine-swabbed foot. He’s getting treatment for a blister. Then Eurosport switches to a graphic perhaps equally ugly for Murray’s fans: The second-set stats. Murray came up empty on the set’s only three break points, in Djokovic’s first service game, when Murray had a 0-40 lead. That one will hurt if Murray ends up losing this match.

Murray opens Djokovic’s service game like he opened the last one, with a good net approach.

This time Djokovic responds with a lob on the baseline, wins the point, and holds at 15. He’s ahead for the first time in the match, though with both men so strong on serve today, this match is essentially tied until the first break or the end of the third-set tiebreaker, whichever comes first.

At 15-0, Murray stands so far into the court, he’s in no-man’s land, but a sensible spot when he has Djokovic on the run: close enough to the net to move ahead for an easy volley, close enough to the baseline to retreat if Djokovic comes up with a deep, low shot.

Murray wins the point when one of those deep, low shots goes too deep.

Then they trade crosscourt backhand errors, Djokovic stays perfect on overheads, and Murray holds at 30 with a service winner. 26 service games, 26 holds.

Djokovic chooses a strange shot, a double-handed backhand drive volley down the line from deep in the court. He sends it into the net. He has 42 unforced errors to 25 for Murray. Djokovic gets to 30-15 with a forehand winner, though, and to 40-15 when a Murray forehand goes long. Then Djokovic holds with a service winner out wide.

27 service games, 27 holds. As ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert, who loves U.S. sports metaphors, might say: “It’s like these two have combined to serve up a perfect game.”

Murray races to a 40-0 lead when Djokovic makes two backhand errors, then can’t get his backhand onto a Murray first serve down the T. Another Djokovic backhand error, on a poorly judged drop shot, and Murray holds. 28 service games up, 28 held.

Murray wrong-foots Djokovic a couple of times at 15-0 in Djokovic’s service game, and Djokovic slips. Murray finishes off the point with a forehand winner. Neither player’s feet are cooperating fully. But then Murray sends a second-serve return well deep, and exclaims, “Oh, Andy.”

Murray did the right thing in that game, trying to attack in his return game. Each player has been holding serve easily with just a few exceptions, which should free them to be more aggressive on return.

Murray yells “Andy!” at himself when he misses an easy backhand, but he doesn’t let it keep him from pushing on Djokovic’s service game. He misses a backhand down the line, then nails a backhand crosscourt winner.

Murray got the attack all wrong there on game point. He earned an overhead, then sent it meekly right at Djokovic and eventually lost the point on a forehand error. 31 service games, 31 holds. If these two split the next two sets, someone will have to break eventually: there are no tiebreakers in the fifth set at the Grand Slams except the U.S. Open.

Djokovic ends a punishing 36-shot rally, the longest of the match, by ripping a forehand winner. If he breaks here, he would serve for the third set. His grunts are getting louder and more assertive and Murray is matching him.

Djokovic moves to 0-30 when Murray brings Djokovic to net and fires a backhand passing shot right at Djokovic, then can’t handle the replied volley.

Djokovic earns three break points — which feel like set points with how easily he’s been holding serve — by attacking a Murray second serve and then hitting a forehand winner. 0-40. This match could see its first break in its 32nd service game. Though Djokovic squanders the first break point with an easy backhand into the net.

Murray saves the second break point when a Djokovic forehand goes long. But Djokovic breaks when a Murray forehand goes into a Serbian netcord and drops back on Murray’s side. That was the wrong moment for such an aggressive shot. Djokovic will serve for a two-sets-to-one lead.

Djokovic is now a set away from his third consecutive Australian Open title.

He hasn’t played great tennis, but like in his fourth-round match against Wawrinka and his two five-set wins in last year’s semifinal and final, he has been so good at bouncing back from low points in matches.

He looked down and out at the start of the second set here, but steadied himself, saved break points and has hardly been challenged on serve since.

That’s freeing him up to swing freely on Murray’s service games, and he takes a 0-30 lead again. Murray could lose the match in this game, given how poorly he’s been returning for the last set and a half.

Murray hits a forehand just wide on his first game point, then earns another with a sublime backhand half-volley winner off a tough crosscourt backhand pass from Djokovic. Murray holds with a service winner. Normal service has resumed: 34 service games, 33 holds.

Now Djokovic opens his service game with successive errors and falls into a 0-30 hole. Suddenly these two remembered that they’re excellent returners. Though as I wrote that, Murray sent a routine forehand long.

Murray follows a tactical error with another: He sends a routine backhand slice long, then challenges it even though the slow shot is hard to get wrong on line calls. Line judge was right and Murray is down to two challenges, and 30-30. But then Djokovic misses a forehand wide and Murray earns a break point for just the second game in the match. He’s now 0 for 4 on break points as he misses a backhand serve return.

Djokovic hits another effective serve out wide and follows it with a forehand winner, his 38th winner to 28 for Murray. Then he holds with a service winner. Again Murray fails to convert a break point when leading 1-0 in a set. 35 service games, 34 holds, including 18 for 18 for Djokovic.

Andy Murray’s brother Jamie, a doubles specialist on tour, senses how important that game was. Before it, he tweeted, “Massive hold for Andy there. Needs to get some momentum back. Novak looking really strong in the last hour.” Alas, there was no hold there for Andy, massive or otherwise.

Murray is again too casual on a close shot, not playing a Djokovic forehand that luckily for Murray sails just long. 30-30. Murray with a chance to break back and get back into the match, but instead of getting a break point he sends a routine forehand into the net.

Murray’s serve gets him to 40-30, then a 76-mph second serve in the middle of the box lets Djokovic seize control of the point and his overhead doesn’t get a reply from Murray back in the court.

But Murray gets another game point with a big first serve. And on that point, Murray gets a warning when — shades of Wimbledon 2012 — his second-serve tennis ball drops out of his pocket.

Hasn’t he fixed that problem with his shorts? Rattled, Murray misses his first serve, Djokovic rips his return on the second serve and then punishes a hurting Murray with a drop shot that Murray gets to but just misses pushing into the court. Back to deuce in a must-win game for Murray.

Last time these two played a Grand Slam final, after two tight sets Djokovic raced through the next two, but Murray had enough in reserve for the fifth. The difference this time, then, is that Djokovic won the second set this time by avoiding being broken. It looks like that tiebreaker will be the critical moment in the match. Which means Murray’s double fault interrupted by a falling feather may be a critical moment. Which is a long way of saying Murray fans aren’t feeling very warm toward birds at the moment.

And Murray isn’t feeling very warm toward line judges at the moment. He won the first point of the game, then was in position to win the second point when his forehand was called wide. He challenged, furiously, and it was in. Replay the point, with Djokovic down 0-15.

Good fight from Murray to get a lead on Djokovic’s service game, bringing it to 0-30 after hitting a deep return down the middle. His second-serve return is near the baseline at 0-30 but Djokovic gets it back deep and Murray hits a forehand wide. 15-30.

So comfortable on serve, Djokovic looks like he feels he has no need to break here. He swings freely on the first two points and loses, then swings freely on the third point, lands a big return, and puts away a perfect backhand drop shot. 30-15 Murray.

He makes successive dubious net approaches and Murray twice makes him pay with his backhand. 0-30. Murray may not win this match even if he breaks, but at least he won’t go a match without breaking serve.

Though the Serbian netcord helps Djokovic again when he hits his most tentative overhead of the match at 0-30 and it trickles over, after an amazing effort by Murray to get to the approach shot and throw up a lob. 15-30.

After a brief exchange, Murray hits a routine backhand into the net. Djokovic celebrates enthusiastically but with no shirt-ripping this time — that last set and a half was too routine for that. Warm exchange at net, smiles and a little jig from the four-time Australian Open champ.

A bit of an anticlimax. Djokovic won nine of the last 11 games. In the British Eurosport studio, Ross Hutchins thinks Murray’s blisters were crucial. Court lights dim as it’s prepared for the trophy ceremony.

Djokovic now has six majors, four Australian Open titles and his third straight, the first to win three in a row in Melbourne in the Open era.

He has few weaknesses, and today even those were strengths — his serve can be shaky, but he held in 21 of 21 service games. He didn’t miss an overhead. His net game was nearly impenetrable. His backhand slice didn’t hurt him.

Still, Murray was right in the match for the first two and a half hours and could easily have taken a two-sets lead.

Andre Agassi, who like Djokovic and Federer, won four Australian Opens, is on stage. Sounds like the MC just ripped Agassi’s opponent in his last Australian Open title run, calling him, seemingly sarcastically, the great German Rainer Schüttler. Schüttler reached only one other major semifinal and retired last year.

No tears from Murray, now a Grand Slam champion himself, who holds his trophy high. He congratulates Djokovic and his team. He looks much calmer than after his last loss in a Grand Slam final, at Wimbledon — calmness befitting the Olympic and U.S. Open champ.

He also thanks his team, the crowd for being “extremely fair,” and the tournament director Craig Tiley.

Many players have thanked him personally this year, in part because the tournament increased prize money. “I’ll see you guys next year. Thank you.” Classy, brief, upbeat runner-up speech from Murray.

Djokovic’s name “will be inscribed” on the trophy. Hopefully they’ll get his country right — Azarenka’s was etched as BEL, short for Belgium, not her native Belarus, after she won the singles title yesterday.

Speaking of Azarenka, she almost forgot to mention her defeated opponent in her speech, saving Li Na for last. Djokovic instead starts by congratulating Andy Murray. Then again he’s gotten used to it. Seeing him holding the trophy is beginning to look routine. He calls the Australian Open “my favorite Grand Slam, my most successful Grand Slam.”

He calls the Australian Open an example for tournaments around the world in how player-friendly and successful they are. Djokovic goes on to thank sponsors by name, the umpires, line judges, the ballboys — didn’t name all of those, though — and his team.

For the third year in a row, and the fourth time in the last six seasons, Novak Djokovic starts the year by winning the Australian Open, beating Andy Murray 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2. It’s his first major title since winning in Melbourne a year ago and solidifies his spot at the top of the world rankings. For most of the first two sets, Andy Murray was the better player. But Djokovic hung around, dominated the second-set tiebreaker, seized his chance at 4-3 in the third set and never looked back, never dropping serve and preventing Murray from beating him in a Grand Slam final for the second successive time.

The ending was a bit of an anticlimax to what had started as a very close and tense match. Murray looked worn out, whether from blisters or from his tougher, more recent semifinal. And Djokovic ascended to his unbeatable level, one he attains occasionally and one that a fully fit Murray — or anyone else — might not have been able to handle. Now Djokovic has won six major titles, including five of the last nine, and is ascending toward a place alongside such greats as Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors, who won eight majors apiece.

Some might be tempted to declare this the solidifying of tennis’s new rivalry. They should look back at recent Grand Slam history. Djokovic and Rafael Nadal appeared to have a stranglehold on the sport last June, when they contested their fourth straight major final at the French Open. Neither reached the next major final, which Roger Federer won to retake the top ranking. And Nadal has won just two matches since then, missing the last six and a half months with injury. Djokovic remains a fixture at the end of majors but is far from unbeatable, as Stanislas Wawrinka demonstrated a week ago. And Murray remains vulnerable on his second serve and when opponents play successful offense.

What this final does is set up an exciting season. Murray is in good position to move past Federer and into the No. 2 ranking this spring. Nadal is due back on court next month. It could be the most wide-open French Open since Nadal won his first, in 2005, and both Murray and Djokovic will be building over the spring toward a run at a first title on clay in Paris. If each man does reach the Roland Garros final, and blisters and feathers don’t get in the way, it could set new records for match length and time, as today’s final threatened to do in the first two sets.

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